harp on

Idioms  

1. Dwell on; talk or write about to a tedious and excessive extent. For example, She kept harping on the fact that she had no household help at all. This expression is a shortening of harp on the same string, meaning “to play the same note over and over.” It was first recorded in 1518.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

harp on

“We could harp on the fact that the 10-year Treasury yields are above 4.5%,” said Dan Morgan, senior portfolio manager at Synovus Trust.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 9, 2026

“As much as we harp on curation and context and all of these things, we still want people to have a good time.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 20, 2024

The framers probably thought there was no need to harp on about the Union being perpetual.

From Salon ● Dec. 16, 2023

“Here, we don’t quit. That’s the biggest thing and what we harp on in the offseason.”

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 22, 2023

He wore a black velvet doublet and carried the Saxon harp on his back.

From "The Door in the Wall" by Marguerite de Angeli

Related Words

• dwell on
• nag